Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Channel Islands Gallery Launched

This past weekend I did an 18 mile backpack across the Channel Islands National Park's east end of Santa Cruz Island with a buddy of mine. Departing from Ventura Harbor on an Island Packers Ferry we started out at Prisoner's Harbor at the far western boundry of the National Park. After three large and steep hill climbs and decents over 4 miles we made it to our first campsite, Camp Del Norte, high on a ridge over looking the ocean. The next morning we headed out early for Scorpion Canyon the location of our second nights camp 12 miles away and a major climb over Montanon Ridge. Two factors make this one of the toughest backpacks I've been on, one; we had to carry two gallons of water each as there was no availible water source until we reached our second camp. Two, the trails are all steep up and down climbs with no switch-backs, so the angles of acents and decents were steeper and longer than many I had been on in past. All in all it was a great trip and I highly recommend it. I got some great photos along the way and with six or so Island Fox sightings I got a few good pics of the largest mammal roaming the island, back from the brink of extinction the Channel Island Fox is the size of a large house cat. With these new photos I lauched my latest new gallery, Channel Islands.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Santa Monica Mountians Gallery Video

I put together this video compilation from fine art images in my Santa Monica Mountians Gallery. The Santa Monica Mountians run east to west from southeast Ventura County they run east into Los Angeles County rising above the City of Angeles, then widens to meet the curve of the Santa Monica Bay, reaching their highest peaks facing the open ocean. The land is beautiful and diverse. The rugged coastline has many sandy beaches and rocky shores. Dense chaparrel and fragrent sages cover the canyon walls. Wildflowers cover burn areas in a carpet of color in the springtime. Inland, lone valley oaks accentuate the grassy hillsides. In 1978 Congress established the Santa Monica National Recreation Area as part of the National Park System. Enjoy!